Newbridge Cinema Anyone???

JackieO

Just wondering what every happened to the planned cinema for Newbridge?

Surely it was due to be ready by now???

I remember there was an issue with Whitewater and the planning as they were supposed to have a cinema in the S.C. but surprise, surprise when it was built there was no cinema. I also remember the various marches in town protesting at the time.

There was talk of building the cinema in an alternative location.

Anyone know where this got to?? Or if it is still even going ahead?

baztard

Last I heard the developers of Whitewater were going to build a cinema in a different location, but that was a good 6 months ago now. Its a scandal that they could get away without putting one into Whitewater.

JackieO

Yes, you're right. They were supposed to be building the cinema at an alternative site and I thought it was due to open sometime in 2007 (but maybe I'm just dreaming). Haven't heard a word on this in at least 12 months.

dame

If you read the local papers you'd occassionally see an update. Yes, still no cinema, Whitewater still saying they'll build it on alternative site and Newbridge Concerned Residents, Council etc saying it was part of the planning permission for the centre and must be provided in there. Whitewater want to put more shops in there instead. The part where the cinema should be is partitioned off (beside Debenham's) until decision is made. The developers obviously just put the cinema in there in order to get the planning permission then want to use the space as shops (higher rents), surprise surprise. So much for the planning laws of Ireland.

nellieswellies

I think the developers were trying to aquire the site behind the White Water with the motor factors on it for a Cinema (by that I mean that what they were saying when I last read something about it), it wont happen though

JackieO

http://www.kildare-nationalist.ie/news/story/?trs=cwgbkfidgb

I've done a search and above is the most recent link I can find which updates the situation. No real movement from what I can see.

nlgbbbblth

Pity Oscar closed down.

dizzydub

I heard a rumour that the guys who own leisureplex and TGI Fridays had bought UCI and were planning on opening a TGI Fridays in Newbridge next year. Maybe they'll open a cinema now that they have the UCI franchise?

BuffyBot

An update is here:

http://www.kfmradio.com/new/news.php?articleid=000010125

orlao

Hi, just to update you on new cinema proposal in Newbridge. It's at the back of the Whitewater, an 8-screen cinema which will be linked by a corridor into the main shopping centre. It will also have a pedestrian exit to road. A company called Newbridge Metal Products was there. It will use the existing car parking at the Shopping Centre.

There's a public information meeting on next week, Wednesday, 13th Feb at 8pm in Hotel Keadeen. There's been a good reaction generally to the new proposal, but locals are very sceptical about the developers as they've been trying to get out of building the cinema ever since they first got planning permission.

Try and come along to the meeting, show your support, ask the questions - show the developers people are still really interested, the more they know this, the more they'll think twice about trying to get out of it again.

afino

orlao wrote: »

There's a public information meeting on next week, Wednesday, 13th Feb at 8pm in Hotel Keadeen.

Couldn't get to that meeting. What was the outcome? Any major developments?

orlao

There was a great turnout, there is still huge interest in the issue. Basically new plans have gone in for an 8screen cinema at a new site which will physically join to the Whitewater. It would be fine if the cinema were built there - the only concerns are whether the developers really mean it this time - people are sceptical. For instance, the Whitewater guy who was interviewed on KFM said an 8screen cinema would be looking for a catchment population of 200,000 - there isn't even that number of people in the entire county of Kildare. So we'll have to wait and see. The Council will kick it to touch until An Bord Pleanala rules on the previous application. Whitewater has so far refused to withdraw their appeal (against the Council's decision to make them build the cinema at the current site within the shopping centre). Whitewater remains hidden behind the Newbridge Town Councillors, refusing to attend the public meeting saying they'd only talk to the elected representatives. The Councillors think everything is rosy in the garden - I wish I was wearing their glasses!

JackieO

Any update on the cinema issue in the last few months. This is going to drag on forever by the looks of things.

Its time to be start protests outside whitewater on Saturday's I think. Wouldn't take long for them to reach a decision then.

orlao

Well the most up-to-date news is we won the battle, but not yet the war. An Bord Pleanala recently turned down Whitewater's appeal to Kildare County Council's decision not to let them change the current cinema site into more shops and a creche. This is an important decision as the Board stated quite clearly that the current cinema site is the best location for a cinema in the shopping centre. It also has huge implications for the new cinema application which is basically an extension out the back of the Whitewater on the ring road. It's possible the Council will make the same arguments about there being no reason why the site needs to be changed. The new cinema application is at Further Information for the past few months and it will be interesting to see if Whitewater continues to delay on this - if they do you can be sure they weren't serious about the new application. There's probably no point demonstrating at the Shopping Centre, all the traders want a cinema as much as we do - your best bet is to knock on the door of the owners, one of whom is Sean Mulryan, international developer extraordinaire - he's the guy calling the shots.

faceman

I bet this will never happen.

orlao

While I can understand people believing that developers hold all the power and they end up doing what they want, I'm actually quite optimistic. Things change - the Whitewater is not doing well and some units have closed, the economic imperative for pushing the cinema out of the shopping centre could change. Also, there are local elections coming up next year and this is still a big issue for people from Newbridge. Local politicians know they will make their reputation (or not!) on what they've done on the cinema issue. And sure why not drop a line to Sean Mulryan and tell him what you think of him, he's a local lad, after all.

Shades799

I'm in the closing stages of buying a house in Newbridge. Just wondering where do Newbridge people go to goto the cinema. And what is that cinema like?

nlgbbbblth

Shades799 wrote: »

I'm in the closing stages of buying a house in Newbridge. Just wondering where do Newbridge people go to goto the cinema. And what is that cinema like?

Naas - Storm. It's ok, nothing special.

A film club has started. Think it's in The Moat, Naas. Not sure.

The Oscar in Newbridge was cool. Pity it closed prematurely.

djimi

Shades799 wrote: »

I'm in the closing stages of buying a house in Newbridge. Just wondering where do Newbridge people go to goto the cinema. And what is that cinema like?

You could go to Storm in Naas, but I really wouldnt if I were you...

Liffey Valley is only a half hour drive from Newbridge (less probably at night) and that is where I would recommend. Or if you dont mind travelling into town then CineWorld on Parnell St is my first choice for cinema. Bit more hassle getting there and youll have to pay for parking (I recommend Marlboro St at €6 for the evening), but the cinema is considerably better than any other of the mainstream cinemas around (unless you can get into screen 1 in the Savoy on O'Connell St).

djimi

nlgbbbblth wrote: »

A film club has started. Think it's in The Moat, Naas. Not sure.

Is this any good? Ive always craved a decent film club in Naas!

nlgbbbblth

djimi wrote: »

Is this any good? Ive always craved a decent film club in Naas!

no idea. Must check it out. Mentioned in the Leader a couple of weeks ago.

zero19

faceman wrote: »

I bet this will never happen.

+1 our only option is that hole they call storm cinemas in Naas :eek:

matchthis

Have to defend Storm cinema. Have been a few times and i like my movies. Was recently there at batman and was mad busy, but everything still went smoothly. Comfy seats and good bit of leg room. Only stipulation is the pay parking, but never had a cad experience even tohugh i have read before in the past. Still would like to see a Cinema in Newbridge, Storm is a bit on its own out there

faceman

matchthis wrote: »

Have to defend Storm cinema. Have been a few times and i like my movies. Was recently there at batman and was mad busy, but everything still went smoothly. Comfy seats and good bit of leg room. Only stipulation is the pay parking, but never had a cad experience even tohugh i have read before in the past. Still would like to see a Cinema in Newbridge, Storm is a bit on its own out there

Yeah but all the screens are small unless the film is on in screen 1.

djimi

matchthis wrote: »

Have to defend Storm cinema. Have been a few times and i like my movies. Was recently there at batman and was mad busy, but everything still went smoothly. Comfy seats and good bit of leg room. Only stipulation is the pay parking, but never had a cad experience even tohugh i have read before in the past. Still would like to see a Cinema in Newbridge, Storm is a bit on its own out there

Ive heard that Storm has recently been aquired by UCI and that the general cinema experience has improved greatly. My girlfriend went there last week and she said that the projectionists have finally figured out how to get the picture displaying centrally on the screen, and not at a 10 degree angle, which is a vast improvement from the last few times Ive been there.

My biggest gripe with the place tho (apart from the novice projectionists) was the fact that I had to put up with gangs of little Naas knackers talking and laughing and joking throughout the film, and the staff seemingly having no control over them. One time I saw a girl on her phone during a film, she was asked to turn the phone off or leave, she told the guy to f**k off, and he did, while she continued her conversation... Complete joke.

faceman

My brother watched the Dark knight in screen 2 the other day. He said that the screen was small, the image wasnt being projected on the screen correctly. (said it was almost like the film wasnt running through the projector correctly.

He also said the sound system they had was very poor. You couldnt get much of a surround effect and the bass is non existent.

Not really worth a tenner or whatever they charge if you ask me.

djimi

That was my arguement against Storm; they simply dont seem to know what they are at with the projector. I have had several instances where the picture has been off, ranging from the picture projecting nearly a foot onto the left hand side wall of the cinema, to the picture being rotated at a 10 degree angle (which made it almost unwatchable, yet noone upstairs seemed to be making any attempt to fix it), to the aspect ratio being completely off (the picture was being shown in something like 4:3 which looked completely off, and it actually took my mate to go out and tell them that it should be anamorphic or 16:9 or whatever before they fixed it!). Storm is not a cheap cinema, last time I went there the tickets were dearer than Vue or CineWorld, and as such I dont think its too much to expect that they get the basics right.

BuffyBot

Folks, this isn't a thread about Storm in Naas, but the proposed cinema at the Whitewater.

Let's keep it on topic.

JackieO

Anyone know whats happening with the Newbridge cinema these days?

orlao

Everything is still live - the new proposal for the Cinema, ie in an extension of the Whitewater is with planning and a decision is due on 10th Oct and the campaign which is keeping an eye on things is still operating. The problem with the new proposal is it involves extending the Whitewater with more shops on the bottom part of the building, but Whitewater is haemorraging tenants so what developer would extend a Shopping Centre in this climate? Meantime, the developer, Sean Mulryan is stopping any other operator coming in and opening up a cinema - remember what the politicians have done on this when you're voting next June.

richiek83

They have lost one tenant namely Espirit in the last number of months. The units that were occupied in the corner of the first floor across from the original proposed cinema were let on a short term lease which finished some time back. Espirit is to be replaced in the next few weeks with John David Sports, a well known sports retailer in Ireland and the UK so all is not that bad considering the current economic climate.

At the end of the day, I have lived in Newbridge all my life and still do!!. I would rather a cinema which is bigger and built to a better specification than the one that was originally planned. If we were left with the cinema that was originally planned, the screens would be small, in that case, I and many other people would still go to Liffey Valley or Dundrum. This is still the case at the moment, regardless of Storm in Naas.

I do hope that this application gets permission albeit with conditions, namely an effort to try and integrate the proposed cinema with the Avenue. All eyes on the KCC website for the 10th October!!!!!!